Player of the Season: Nikola Komazec

This article was initially published in May 2017 in the print version of the “Hong Kong Football Podcast Season Review”. You can download the PDF version of the magazine here.

Starting with his debut goal against BC Glory Sky, through the nine goals he scored in his first eight league matches, plus goals against Johor in the AFC Cup and into a quieter second half of the season, Nikola Komazec has made a huge impact for South China. He finished joint third-highest goalscorer, with 13 goals. The two men ahead of him in the scoring charts – Kitchee’s Sandro and Eastern’s Manuel Bleda – had great seasons, but play in much stronger teams. The big Serbian got four goals against the top three, all of them crucial. But it’s not just about the numbers. Whenever the ball is near, his aim is to unleash that left boot with a shot on goal as soon as possible. His finishing and positioning, plus the emotion and camaraderie he puts into his game (we once saw him kiss Mahama Awal on the face just for winning a throw-in) make him a true character, and just the kind of player we all want to watch.

The Hong Kong Football Podcast is your weekly round-up of news, scores and chit-chat from around local football. It is out every Wednesday, and has just completed its first full season, which included interviews with players like Eastern’s Josh Mitchell and Southern’s Paul Olivier Ngue. You can listen on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, or any other of your favourite podcast applications.